The present invention relates to technique about outgoing calls and incoming calls through outside lines or extension lines within a PBX system.
A method has been known that an incoming call through an outside line arrives at a plurality of extension telephones that form a group. For instance, at least one extension number is stored in an outside-line interface, and when a call comes in, the method allows the call to arrive at the saved extension number. In a telephone-exchange apparatus including direct-dialing trunks, the direct dialing numbers correspond to predetermined extension numbers. An arrived call-in is entered into the extension number corresponding to the direct-dialing number.
As such, an arrived call-in can be connected to predetermined plural extensions. From a view of a caller, who places a call to such a PBX system having extensions forming a group as discussed above, it is indefinite whether the number to be called is a pilot number of a company, a personal direct-dialing number, or a pilot number of several subscribers.
The present invention addresses the problem discussed above, and aims to provide a PBX system having an improved function of call-in arriving at a group. The PBX system of the present invention comprises a plurality of extension telephones and a PBX. The PBX includes extension-line interfaces coupled to the extension telephones. The plurality of extension-line interfaces are divided into groups, and the PBX calls an extension telephone included in one of the extension groups. The group including this extension telephone corresponds to the calling signal. Buttons indicating the groups can be set on the extension telephones. In the PBX, a memory stores the information about the extension groups. When a call is placed from one of the extension telephones by depressing an extension-group button, the PBX allows the extension information saved in the memory to be sent to a called extension or a called outside telephone responsive to an instruction from a controller.
The PBX system thus allows the information about the calling extension group to be displayed on a display section of the called extension telephone or the called outside telephone.
In the PBX of the present invention, a group-number memory stores extensions and group-numbers of the extension groupxe2x80x94to which the extensions belongxe2x80x94correlated with each other. A group-number detector detects a group number corresponding to a calling signal. An arrival-request-signal generator sends an arrival-request signal to an extension telephone that has an extension corresponding to the detected group number. A memory stores text data about the extension-groups. Receiving the calling signal to an extension group, a controller controls the PBX, thereby sending the text data to the caller.
A method of communication using the PBX of the present invention comprises the steps of:
(a) assigning call-in groups to function buttons of the extension-telephones and sending an information signal occurred by depressing the assigned function button (a group button) of the telephone to the PBX when the assigned function button is depressed;
(b) recognizing the information signal as a calling signal from the call-in group if the information signal is related to the function buttons;
(c) detecting a calling telephone number keyed-in at an extension telephone;
(d) examining whether the calling telephone number is an outside number or an extension number; and
(e) sending group information including the group number as caller""s information to the destination outside number when the calling number is an outside number, and sending information including the group name to the destination extension number.